The Choice
by TheRoadToTheLake
Summary: Hermione Granger is chosen to receive an award at school in which Malfoy must present. But what happens when the reward is a glimpse into Hermiones future and Malfoy is the first to see it. Dramione One Shot!


Hey it's Katie! I decided to write a Dramione one shot! It's noedited cause it's like 6 in the morning and I'm so tired! I'll get around too it :P

Let me know what you guys think?

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The Choice

I was nervous, as was everyone else. I could practically taste the fear in the air. It was crisp and cold as Dumbledore entered the Great Hall. The tables felt oddly empty with just the 6th years in the hall, but divided nonetheless as we still sat at our segregated table. Harry and Ron had spent most of last night fumbling over it. Wondering whether they would be picked and who might be picked alongside them to go fourth. Ron of course was in his usual 'Harry gets picked for everything' mood, which we tried to dismiss.

As for me, I didn't bother with the fuss. Of course it crossed my mind but not too intensively. I sat in the library by myself all night reading mostly for my own pleasure, and it was comforting and brought about a great inner happiness. And if I knew I was happy now of course I'd be happy in the future. I didn't need to be chosen to know what I already knew.

Some girls in my dormitory had been up all night crying, wondering what their lives would be like and what they'd do if they were chosen and shown a horrible future. If they'd still be in a relationship with the guy they were with now. Lavender unfortunately daydreamed aloud about a happy future with Ron.

"Settle, settle, I know you all must be anxious and curious and most of all tired! We had a lot of sleep walkers found early this morning in the strangest of places," Dumbledore laughed letting his half moon glasses slide down his nose so he could wink at Nerville subtly.  
"Regardless, I hope you are all excited. It is not often our school is rewarded with such a great honour as to be chosen for the Fanques Future Award. An honour of the highest I must say." Dumbledore smiled. But then his face turned a lighter shade of pale as he pushed his half moon glasses back up his nose.  
"I must express, what one is told about their future is the future that person will receive if they change nothing about their life's and continue on the path which they're going. If ones sees a horrible outcome all they have to do is change. In some chases a certain person who might not be on the path of righteousness is chosen and will see a future they could have if they changed their ways. But this outcome is rare. Regardless, this is an opportunity for you to change your life. It is very often we live in the past, dwelling on mistakes and words left unsaid. Now is the time to look forward. Now is the time to see what you as a person will become. Minerva the bowl please."

Professor Mcgonagal, with a flick of her wand, changed the large podium into a giant glass bowel designed to look like a tree, most likely to represent life and growth.  
"Thank you'" he bowed.  
"Now, two people from the chosen year of 6th year will be selected. One will be the receiver and one the giver. The receiver will receive the highest honour of being given a glimpse into their future. The giver will be given a tiny vile in which they will bring to the pensieve, view the persons future and have the great honour of presenting the receiver with the news. Many well known friendships have been based on this award between the giver and the receiver. We all know the story of David and Thomas Sheen, two well known wizards who saw in David's future his death by a terrible war to come. Thomas sheen helped prevent it and a bond was born. Great things can come from this students, don't be so quick to gloat your news and forget who told you. Minerva if you will."

Again Professor McGonagal stepped forward, softening the crease on her robe. She smiled out somewhat half heartedly at us before diving her hand into the bowel. I felt Lavenders body vibrating with anticipation in the chair beside me as she swooned over Ron. I thought, just for a second what my future might hold. Would Ron be there? Harry? Ginny? Would crook shanks live forever like my mom had said when he got sick 4 years ago? Would I get married? Have children? But most of all as Professor McGonagal opened that piece of paper and handed it to Dumbledore I thought, Would I really be happy?

"Ah let's see," Dumbledore smized, adjusting his glasses to read the print.  
"And the great honour of receiver goes to Hermione Granger! Big round of applause!" Dumbledore said, clapping.

I felt the Gryffindor table vibrate with applause as each person began banging their hands on the table in a secession of pride because a member of their table had been chosen.

I couldn't believe it. My palms started to sweat as Harry lifted me up off the seat and pushed me towards the top of the hall. As I passed Ron he had this distant look about him. Was he thinking what I had though? Would he make an appearance in my future in the way that I had only recently thought about? I looked over to the Slytherin table as I made my way up to Dumbledore. They sneered at me and rolled their eyes as if It was all a big joke. Some even suggested it was rigged given the fact that the Gryffindor Golden Girl was chosen.  
"Congratulations Ms Granger," Professor McGonagal said putting her arm on my shoulder and smiling. Dumbledore smiled brightly out to the crowd. Always the optimistic.  
"Now for the giver!" Dumbledore stated before letting a hand fall into his robe pocket and taking out a small vile. He already has it I thought.

McGonagal again like before dipped her hand into the glass bowel, smiling out to the crowd as she did so, each of them following her movement with bated-breath. I looked out to the crown once before she called the name to see Ron and Harry smiling up at me proudly with Lavender fuming in the corner. For once I think this just might be a good thing.

"Draco Malfoy!"

Shit. My heart drops. I turn to Dumbledore in confusion.  
"Pardon?" I stammer, scanning the isle of green to fine his sickly pale face staring up at me abashed. His table erupt in laughter obviously aware of the deep hatred between us. Dumbledore quickly silences them at once, beckoning Malfoy forward.

I stare out searching for Harry and Ron's faces finding them staring back at me with an apologetic turn of the mouth. I try to calm myself as he reluctantly makes his way forward to the top of the hall. I can see his classmates slapping him on the backside as he dawns closer. My cheeks flush red as I think of the thinks he might see. What if I turn out really horrible and he uses it against me. What if my husband turns out to be someone in the year and he tells them making fun of me. What if he knows something important like when I'll die and doesn't tell me as punishment for my blood status? After every insane thought under the sun crosses my mind I'm as calm as If I was flying.  
"Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore says handing him the tiny green vile that contains my future. He rolls in between his fingers for a  
Second before looking back at Dumbledore. He doesn't look at me but merely rolls his eyes in my directions.  
"Let's get this over with already," he pleads.  
"Very Well," Dumbledore smiled, leading Malfoy and myself away. He leads us down the centre of the table where each table claps for me except the Slytherin table. They're jeering at Malfoy and laughing at all the harm he can cause me from this.

As I pass Harry and Ron they reach out their hands and I touch them both as they smile at me. I brush their fingers with mine ad their support makes me feel stronger.

Malfoy is silent as we walk to Dumbledore's office. Constantly he rolls the green vile in between his fingers, Once or twice almost dropping it. I feel my fist clench at my waist. I want to hit him again. His rolling around my life in his hands and he thinks it's a joke. I turn my head subtly to look at him to find he's looking away, out over the hills in the distance through the window. But we pass the window quickly and he looks down, back to my future in his hands.

We stop outside Dumbledore's office before I know it. He looks down at me like my father would have in this moment before ushering me into a nearby classroom to wait. Malfoy doesn't look at me as I leave and it worries me more than anything. Just as McGonagall closed the classroom door I get a glimpse of Dumbledore's hand dropping onto Malfoy's shoulder in an unusual way.

I paced back and forth for what seem like hours. Over analysing every possible outcome like I feel I do with everything. Will he use it against me? Why did Dumbledore touch him like that? Was McGonagall outside listening to me pacing back and forth? What if I don't get married and live alone with 20 cats? What if all my studying was for nothing and I amount to nothing like Malfoy always said? But most of all I think how much of this will he use against me? It's hyped up enough. It's all anyone's talked about since it was announced three weeks ago.

Wars wage within me as my mind shoots forward thousands of questions. But they're all silenced when the door creaks open and Malfoy half falls in. He stumbles slightly as if someone has bumped into him. His face is a sickly pale and my chest clenches. That good? I Think. It must be if he's looking so sick with knowledge. I sigh and move towards him, leaning against a table considerable close to him.  
"Come on then, at least tell me a little before you go laughing about it with your friends," I fold my legs under the table in anticipation. But Malfoy remained quiet with a distant look upon his face, his is eyes searching far outside of this room.  
"Come on Malfoy. I know you hate me but just tell me is it good or bad? You at least have that much in you?" I ask, sliding forward expectantly. He slides his hand through his long slightly greasy blonde hair and glares back at me. There are purple bags under each eye as he switches to stare at each pupil.  
"What did you expect Granger huh? Cause what you expect now is only half of what you'll actually get. Don't look at me like that. You know you're going to be happy. You don't need me to tell you that. In fact you don't need me at all so bloody remember that. There will be no friendship from this so stay away from me okay? You'll be happy. Lucky for you!" and with that Malfoy stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"What do you mean he only said that?" Ron said loudly to which most of the Gryffindor table who were trying to eavesdrop heard.  
"Shut up you idiot!" Ginny hushed, ramming Ron in the ribs with her elbow. Ron spat the chicken wing out across the table at Neville with the blow to the ribs.  
"Sorry Mate," Ron laughed as Neville –with a sour face- removed the chicken from his hair.  
"That's all he said," I sighed moving my peas around the plate.  
"I'll fix his little red wagon so!" Ron exclaimed throwing his tissue aside and standing up to find Malfoy nowhere in sight at the Slytherin table.  
"I expected him to be easy to spot yano? Circles of people around him all laughing that sort of thing?" Ron stated.  
"Me too Ron," replied Harry.  
"So where is he?" I asked.

**Draco Malfoy's Point of View.**

I felt Dumbledore's grip on my shoulder and I sighed deeply. What is this oaf doing now?  
"Sherbet Lemon," he says in his aged voice smiling down at me. I think of my father's voice and how different it sounds now to when I was a child. Doesn't he know?  
We enter the lift as it starts to elevate upwards.

"You know Mr Malfoy; I've often admired you for your great talents and intellect. Often a little cocky and overwhelming naive and gullible but you've a head between your two shoulders and no one can deny that," Dumbledore admired, clutching my shoulder more tightly.  
"..And often in life when bad things happen we are presented with an opportunity. A pathway if you will." He says as he motions me off the stone staircase and towards the Pensive. It appears out of a hidden crack in the wall and glides effortlessly towards Dumbledore's desk. The vile feels like fire in my hand when Dumbledore reaches forward to take it, burning like acid as he drags it out of my clutch. He unscrews the top and drops the green liquid into the pensieve.  
"..and this Draco is your second pathway in life. I hope you chose wisely," he explains. Before I can ask what the hell he's talking about he pushes my head forward into the pensieve and I begin to fall.

I hit the ground painlessly on soft earth. It feels like sand and when I open my eyes I realize it is sand. I haven't felt sand in a long time. I grip it in my hands but unfortunately it falls quickly between the cracks. I go to gather another handful in aggravation when I hear a familiar laughter coming from a house I hadn't noticed. I turn on my knee and stand up to get a better look at the house. It's large and wooden with a big front porch. This isn't England anymore. I can tell that much by the sun in the sky. It's somewhere hot, somewhere exotic.

My trail of thoughts is pulled back as I hear the laughter again. I stand up quickly and make my way towards it. Following the vibrations of the sound in my ear. Over a slight hill I get a better view of the house and see the sea isn't far. In fact the house is on the beach. I stare out at the vast openness of the ocean to find two figures running in the sand, a man and a woman. They seem to be racing. The women trying desperately to catch up with the man who turns unexpectedly on his heel and catches the woman in his arms. They fall in a heap on the ground and the laughter gets louder before the image changes and shifts and I'm dropped somewhere else.

Like a star just dropping out of the sky the new surroundings are overwhelming. I crawl forward on the wooden floor to find myself hitting into something. I look up to find an older Hermione smiling, staring across the room. She's holding a boy in her arms. He looks about 3 or 4 with pale skin and blonde hair but he's got her eyes and that's when I realize it's her son. She's smiles and laughs as if someone's said something hilarious, tending to the child when he cries. I can't help but stare at her in amazement. She's about 30. I turn my head to see who she's smiling at but the image drops again only to manifest somewhere else.

I move quickly then through a secession of people images and places. I see our graduation across the river. Hermione hanging her first pay slip on the wall. Her hand dovetailed with another paler skin much like I remember her sons being. It shifts to her, Ron and Harry smiling and laughing in what looks to be an apartment. Harry is holding the younger Weasel while Ron is wrapped around a girl I don't recognize. The laughter filters through the next secession as I see Hermione, sweating and screaming as a man holds her hand as she looks to be in labour. The image is gone again before I can see her husband's face. The secession slows to a stop, centring in on a bedroom. The focus drifts to Hermione lying exposed in the bed. She's completely naked only shielded slightly by the thin duvet. Her skin is darker than it is now. She's again smiling across the bed at someone. But I can't help but look at her body. Slim, tan and ripened. She looks perfect and it sickens me. But that's when I hear it and I actually think I might vomit.  
"I love you," he whispers. Hermione smiles wider than I thought possible. A hand reaches forward to brush the flyaway hairs out of her face. The focus shifts and I see him. The focus shifts and I see me.

My heart stops and he leans forward to kiss her. He grips her naked body lifting her on top of him and she laughs down at him. I feel the heat rising in my glands. My wrist heat up and start to swell in my robes. I drop to my knees beside the bed. Rolling almost under it in fear but I can't get away. I can hear my voice laughing. I can hear her sexual noises louder and quicker after mine. I can't think. I can't let myself think of anything. I can't let myself listen to her. But most of all I can't let myself think of how happy I looked. I feel the area beginning to vibrate around me and I know the focus is shifting again, granting me a brief respite from total neutrality I think. But instead a whole new secession begins again, but this time each image is one of us and my heart feels hollow. I'm holding my son on the couch and he looks just like me. Hermione's twirling under a willow tree in a white dress and the colouring of the image is so bright it hurts my eyes. And then I see myself dressed in my robes and it's me that's pushing her down and empty corridor. It's me that's pushes her against the wall and kisses her. It's me that put my hand up her skirt. It's all me,-Everything. Every move is of my doing, My choice. And I hear Dumbledore in my ear,_ I hope you chose wisely_

_._  
"Stop it! I hate you! I hate you!" she screams and hits against my chest but I don't stop touching her. I pick her up in my arms and carry her into the nearest classroom. There's a first year at the back who seems to be doing homework.

"LEAVE!" I scream. The first year immediately runs out of the room not even bothering to gather his books.

"Malfoy stop!" she screams. When I pull her yet more closely she pulls back and punches me straight in the face. Even watching it I can't help but rub my jaw. It looks sore. But I recover quickly and move my hands back up to her face, pushing her a little too hard against the wall.

"You don't call me that and you know it. That's not my name to you so don't you dare downgrade me to Malfoy again. We're more than that and you know it." I whisper close to her ear before moving my mouth over hers again. She struggles again, moving her mouth away but I'm quick to respond.

"Don't, just please don't. Don't speak, don't talk. Just let me have something, anything, please. Just let me have you. You're all I've got Hermione please. You're all I've got." I'm pleading and it makes me sick. I never plead for anything. I get what I want and if I wanted her I could have her. And as the thought of wanting her comes into my head she's pushing me back against the table and kissing me. Hermione Granger is kissing me and I'm gripping her like glass. Afraid to tint the shine with my finger marks but afraid to let go and lose its value and I realize this is the life I could have. Suddenly I feel light as air as I drift away from watching myself and her. We fade and I fall back into Dumbledore's Office. His cold hand is back on my steaming hot shoulder as he leads me down the elevated stairwell. He's pushing me towards the classroom and as I fall in the door I got weak when I see her face.  
"Make your choice Mr Malfoy."

**Hermione's Point of view**

"Where do you think he is?" Ginny whispered as we walked the Hallways back to our dormitories after dinner.  
"Probably off writing down everything he saw so he can recite it to everyone more clearly tomorrow," I sigh.  
"Are you sure he didn't say anything else?" Ginny pestered for the 100th time.  
"No Gin, he just said what I told you and to be honestly I didn't even expect that, so I'm grateful. " Ginny sighed at my outburst.  
"Sorry Gin. Anyways I'll meet you back at the room I've to get my Ancient Ruins book of Padma. I'll catch up with you in a minute," I smile as I turn down a different corridor.  
"Bring food!" she yells after as she disappears. I laugh at the fact that we just ate 5 minutes ago.

The corridor starts to darken and cool and I unbutton my top buttons and let the breeze at my chest. It feels so good I take my whole top robe off. I smile as I make my way to the library. I know Padma has a huge exam tomorrow and will most definitely be there, hopefully.  
My trails of thoughts are interrupted as a hand clasps over my mouth dragging me into a dark aperture. I scream and scream and try to bite the hand that holds me.  
"Ouch!" he screams pushing me away.  
"Granger what the fuck!" Malfoy yells, nursing his hand close to his chest.  
"What are you doing you idiot!" I can't help but scream.  
"Are you crazy? You don't just do shit like that? You can't just grab people like that!" I scream, putting as much distance as possible between us. But he quickly moves towards me until my back is against the wall and he's smiling in a half deranged way that frightens me.  
"Malfoy you're scaring me," I whisper, eyes on the ground. He dropped his bitten hand to the ground and stares down at me.  
"Well you scare me Granger," he quickly retorts. I can't help but feel him close to me, closest he's ever been. He smells like boy. Like all of them do, nothing superior, nothing lower, just the same as everyone else. But he's looking at me differently than everyone else does.  
"Can I go? I have things to do besides stand here with you."  
"Sssh. God Dammit you talk a lot. I'm trying to focus," he stammers. He takes a deep breath before I feel his hand on my waist. I freak out and try to push his hand away but he grips the fabric tightly and catches my wrist so I can't object. He moves his shoulder in closer so my other arm is obscured, and suddenly I'm afraid of him, properly afraid that he might hurt me. I think he sees it in my eyes as I watch he's face soften.  
"Not like that Granger. Don't worry. I just need to see something so hold still. I'm not going to hurt you okay. Just shut up for a second please," he says. I can't help but be paralyzed that he said please that I don't even notice that his other hand has moved to my back.  
"Malfoy," I plead.  
"Shut up!" he whispers angrily as his hands move higher up my waist. My heart drops out my backside when his lips find my neck. What is he doing? Why me? Is this some sort of sick joke? He begins to kiss at my neck before he pulls back slightly and stares at my terrified expression.  
"I just don't understand why you, of all people you. What am I thinking?" he sighs as his hand cups my face.  
"I hate you," he whispers before his lips cover mine. My mouth goes completely numb as his rough lips move against mine grinding and moulding. His hands find my thighs and lift me up against him as he carries me over to a table and setting me down. I'm a dead weigh on the table currently processing a system overload. What is happening? Malfoy climbs on top of me and doesn't hesitate to find my mouth again. I feel his body resting on top of mine and find his shoulders black the light from the window. We're alone and it's dark and I remember my top buttons are open.  
"Mal-" I start but he silences me with a kiss and I shiver against his cold hand on my neck. Without my consent I start to cry. I can feel the tears running down my cheek and sliding down my face into my ears. It feels similar to when I cry in bed and it feels private and my cheeks flush in shame. When Malfoy's hand finds my face he stops, feeling the tears on his cold fingers.  
He moves away quickly, too quickly in fact as he stumbles, hitting back into the wall. He lets himself glide down it, wrapping his legs tight to his chest.

He sits like that for a very long awkward silence before he sighs like the most stressed person in the world.  
"Do you like the seaside?" he asks, peeking up through the folds in his fingers.  
"what are you kidding me?" I cough out, sitting up wiping the side of my mouth with the back of my hand.  
"I mean would you ever like to live there?" he asks again ignoring me.  
" I guess. But Malfoy what the fu-"  
"Because you will," he states. I suddenly know what he means. He's taking about my future. He's telling me more but at what price? Being able to kiss me?  
"I will?" I can't help but ask. I sit myself upright and get off the table pacing over to him.  
"Malfoy I-"  
"and your son.."  
"My son!" I yell. Immediately my hands fly to my mouth in astonishment. A son. "I've always wanted a son." I say more to myself than Malfoy.  
With that Malfoy stands up and makes his way to the door.  
"But what about the kiss," I say standing up to block his view from the door. He tries to move faster than me but my back is to the classroom door in a second and I find him staring at me through his blonde fringe.  
"Don't over think it just yet Granger theres plenty of time for that." he pushes me aside and leaves the room. I stand there for a minute wiping away some of the tears from my eyes before I run out after him.  
"Wait! Why me? There's girls in the year ahead throwing themselves at you!" I scream. He stops and laughs, turning back to me on his heel with an amused expression.  
"Describe him'" he says back.  
"what?"  
"Your son? Describe him for me," he repeats with an even more amused expression. I don't even have to think. I've always had a very vivid image of what I wanted my son to look like. Blonde with a pale countenance. I had always had a fascination with being pale. I felt personally it represented innocence, something we all loose quickly and miss the most.  
"Blonde with pale skin."  
To this Malfoy laughs. His laugh isn't as sarcastic and saturated with want of someone else's downfall. His laugh is scared, as I can hear the tremble in his voice.  
"Then I think a smart girl like you knows what just happened here."

But I didn't understand for a  
Long time after that day. I didn't understand why he suddenly stop being horrible to me. I couldn't comprehend why sometimes in the hallway he would smile at me so unexpectantly that when I noticed, he turns and looks away, and sometimes even picks up my books when I drop them. But that's mostly if the corridor is empty.

It's only when his cousin comes to visit him on Christmas that I realise what that day signifies. His cousin was about 4 years old and he's was small with blonde hair and pale skin. I had watched him from the library window as he ran out to pick up his cousin up into his arms. He pushed the child's blonde hair out of his eyes and swung him over his shoulder.

And after that day I knew. I just knew.

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Pleasereview! Love you guys!


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